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Government consults on indie reclassification plans

Published Thursday 5 November 2009 at 16:27 by Matthew Hemley

Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw has proposed reclassifying production companies owned by Channel 3 licence holders, such as STV and UTV, as independent producers, in a bid to stimulate production throughout the UK.

Under current national legislation, a producer must not have a shareholding greater than 25 per cent in a broadcaster or be more than 25 per cent owned by a broadcaster to qualify as an independent.

The proposed changes would enable the production arms of Channel 3 licence holders to supply content under quotas requiring the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Five to ensure at least 25% of the total content they broadcast is from the independent sector.

In its consultation document, the government said Scottish broadcaster STV was currently the only Channel 3 licence holder that would benefit from the changes, but added: “The change in legislation would allow any qualifying relevant Channel 3 licence holder to diversify into production and government views this as an opportunity for stimulation of production in the nations.”

Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw said: “Television production spread across the nations and regions of the UK is good for viewers, good for regional economies and good for cultural diversity.”

The consultation will run for 12 weeks and closes on February 2, 2010.

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